Lincolnshire rider Rhys Stephenson was named as the recipient of the RST Star of Tomorrow Award at this year’s TT.

The event’s official safety partner, RST, presents the accolade each year to the rider who shows outstanding performance, dedication and potential.

The decision lies with rider liaison officers John Barton and Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle, who are therefore best placed to recognise the achievements in line with what the award represents.

Previous winners of the RST Star of Tomorrow award include Davey Todd plus Manx brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe in 2018 and 2019 respectively, with all three going on to become leading names in their respective classes as TT winners.

Douglas racer Ryan Cringle took the award home in 2023, with Loris Majcan and Kevin Keyes winning over the last two years.

At only 20 years of age, Mountain Course newcomer Stephenson was the youngest competitor at this year’s TT and has come up through the ranks of the British Championship paddock, having first competed in the British Talent Cup (now the Moto4 British Cup) in 2021 before a breakthrough year saw him finish fourth in the points in 2022.

Having spent two years competing in the National Sportbike Championship with successful results, Stephenson made competing at the TT as his main priority for 2026.

Stephenson competed in the opening Sportbike TT on Friday afternoon, finishing the race in a respectable 24th place at an average speed of 113.550mph, which was enough to earn a bronze replica and the second-placed TT newcomer behind Manx Grand Prix graduate Toby Shann.

Rhys’s performances meant he also took home the event’s best newcomer award.